Illusions, Part I
by The Sweeping Channel
Summary: Not mine, but still brilliant! This story belongs to PuccaPuccaDanceParty check her out... NOW... and her comp wasn't working, so yeah... READ IT! PuccaxGaru, and all that jazz. It's actually really exciting...
1. Chapter 1

**May I just say one thing? I DO NOT OWN THIS STORY!!!!!! My BFFL actually wrote it, but I had to type it for her because her computer was being a bitch. So, after a while, she asked me if I could publish it for her, and here it is! Btw if you want to check her out on FanFiction, her penname is PuccaPuccaDanceParty (original, right ^^?) Anyways, here it is. Oh, set up is AU, Pucca and Garu are older (if I'm correct, they're 16 and 17, Pucca being younger), and Garu has a secret that he can only entrust to Pucca. As you will later see, they're... close -ehem-. Enjoy!  
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"Pucca!" Abyo called. I spun around in alarm. Abyo and Ching were running towards me. Ching was holding a piece of paper.

"Hm?" I greeted them, taking the paper from her hand. It was sealed. I looked at their faces and blinked.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Garu's gone!" said Ching in disbelief. I stared at her, unmoving and unblinking.

"That's not funny." I said my face serious. "Where is he?"

"We're not lying Pucca. He's actually gone." said Abyo.

"Where?"

"We don't know!" they said together. Garu did seem a bit off this past week, but there was no way that he would leave without saying goodbye to us. My attention returned to the paper that Ching had handed to me.

"What's this?" I asked cryptically.

"It's from Garu" said Abyo.

"Well, what does it say?" I asked.

"We don't know." Ching replied.

"Whaddaya mean you don't know? Didn't you read what it said?" I asked.

"Abyo wanted to, but I wouldn't let him, so now neither of us knows what it says." Ching replied.

"Why?" I asked.

"We can't. It's not 'meant' for 'us' to read!" Abyo said sarcastically, rolling his eyes at Ching.

"Then what-" I was cut off by Ching's mumbling. "What did you say?" I asked her again.

"I said 'Turn it round'." She said again, only louder. My eyes dropped back to the sealed paper. Apparently, it was upside down. I flipped it around and on the other side in Garu's small and hard to read handwriting, it said:

**Pucca**

My eyes grew wide as I traced my fingers over my name.

"Well? Aren't ya gonna open it?" he asked, with obvious curiosity. I swallowed as I nervously broke the seal and unfolded the paper.

**I'm sorry I had to go so unexpectedly. Something urgent and lethal has come up and I don't want to put anyone in danger, especially you. I've pent more time in Sooga Village than I should have. I am not coming back and DO NOT TRY TO FOLLOW ME. You don't know how much it hurts me to leave for… many reasons. Again, I'm sorry. Take care of my heart; I've left it in Sooga.**

**- Garu**

I was frozen. There were a million thoughts and questions racing through my mind. A few tears escaped my watery eyes after reading the letter over and over again.

"Pucca?" Ching choked. "What's wrong? What does it say?" But I couldn't answer. As soon as she finished her sentence, I thrust the letter into her hands, ran to the Go Rong, grabbed my bag and coat, and went on a one person search party.  


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**Aww, isn't she so mature? Anyways, I know the chapters are a bit short, but I had to find some way to divide it up without everything being ridiculously long. SOOOO... here i is, and any reviews submitted will be forwarded to the author by me personally. (If you send her any hate mail, I will hunt you down and report you. You can bet on that.)  
-smiling sweetly- REVIEW!!**


	2. Chapter 2

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**KK This one is in Garu's POV. There's really no need to explain b/c PPDP did a pretty good job of doing that. Quick read, and enjoy!

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I continued to walk through the forest. It seemed to go on forever, but I knew it would have to end sooner or later. Yeah, like that made a difference! I doubted that a few miles would have stopped him. I leaned against a nearby rock under a tall mountain, and took out the threatening message.

**I'm coming to finish what I started. **

I recited the message to my self again and again. Well, as far as I could tell, I had three options. One, go back to Sooga and put all my friends in danger, two, run further and further away until I found myself cornered sooner or later, or three, commit suicide. But, there was one thing that I knew for sure. It didn't matter which option I chose, because either way, I was going to die. But depending on which option I chose, other people would die with me. Since I didn't want that, option one was out of the question anyway. So, maybe I would try the second option until I reached the bottom of the barrel, so to speak, and then end up proceeding with the third. How easy it was to think about my own death! Thinking about and planning it was one thing… but actually following through? That was another. I sighed as I placed the paper in my pocket and stared up at the mountain peak. If I was going to run, then over the mountain would probably be a good start. I climbed to the peak effortlessly… well, maybe with a little effort.

Not a thought crossed my mind, not a word passed my lips. I reached the peak and brought myself to the edge. I looked down to the ocean below, and to the small sliver of land that led to the bridge at the base of the mountain. It was so far down, I could barely see it. The land… just a blur of green down below. Then, my attention turned to the ocean. It was clearer to me than the land, and I could see the angry waves crashing against the shore. It was slightly frightening, but yet, strangely beautiful.

I pictured myself, wasting so much precious escape time climbing down this thing step by step by step…. How stupid it was to waste so much time! I thought again. Then, another visual occurred to me. Feeling the waves on _my_ skin. Angry at _me_. Killing me as each second passed, numbing my pain and making it disappear, making it… fade with the rest of me.

Well, why not? I would rather die than be dishonored. I was going to choose option three anyway, so why not now? I edged closer, now on the balls of my feet. I could see the waves battering against the line of the blurry shore, spraying big white clouds of sea foam into the sky. As high as I was, I could hear the downward hiss of the air as it crashed into the water, atmosphere colliding with hydrosphere. The harsh wind nipped at my face again and again, which tempted me even more. I inhaled and exhaled. Through my nose and out my mouth. The wind teased me… it played with my hair. My eyes watered, and I sighed. The memories of why I was standing here and the thoughts of death and dishonor flooded back into my head. I closed my eyes and winced. Any amount of physical pain would have been better than the one I was feeling in my chest right then.

I imagined her… my mother. I imagined _being_ with her, and experiencing all of the things that I couldn't for seven years, with her, and that I would probably never experience as long as I was still alive. Her face, her breath on _my_ face as she would whisper how much she loved me… her sweet smile, her beautiful scent as I would hug her and fall back, like a robin returning to the sanctuary of his nest, his _home_…. Then, a faint sound that I would crave… her beautiful lullaby. A fading memory, still distant in my imagination. I so desperately wanted to see her, to be with her again, the one parent out of two that treated me like a son…. I opened my eyes. I knew I was imagining it… yet… I didn't care. Even as the waves and wind, crashing, hissing… became humming. That ever so distant melody was being replayed. I grinned as I listened.

I tilted slowly closer, too close. My foot slipped and I started to fall, but I managed to grab the edge just in time. I was hanging by one hand. I could have easily climbed back to the top, but why? The humming called me again. It lured me, tempted me to let go. So I did. The wind rushed past my falling body, and I plunged into the freezing cold water.

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**-squeal- NO GARU DON'T!!!!!!!!!!! ... too late. He's so sad that he wants to end his life... I always told him to go to therapy, but would he listn to me? Noooooo! Of course not. No one EVER listens to me!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I doubt that this little thing could even be considered a chapter. maybe it's a short. a chapter short. or is it a short chapter? w/e think what you want, but think quickly. it's short!**

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Walking… walking… walking… would this never end? I had been walking almost the entire day and there was still no sign of Garu anywhere! Is stopped to take a breather and leaned against a rock. It felt warm, like someone had been laying on it before me. Could it be? No, probably not. My hope faded as I imagined anything that could have been there before me besides Garu. Hikers, tourists, other ninjas, a bear determined to mark his territory…

"Eww…" I mumbled, cringing at the thought. I moved away from the rock that was now beginning to cool. That would have been mega gross, I thought, and sighed. I wanted to look up at the sun, but I found myself looking up at the mountain instead. Then, I saw a figure, standing on the peak. No, at the edge! What an idiot! I thought. One step further and that man would have fallen! Ugh. But with a slightly closer inspection, I realized that it wasn't just any man. Was it Garu? Oh my goodness! It was Garu!! What was he thinking? If he didn't fall and die, then I was so going to kill him!

I regretted my sarcasm immediately as I witnessed him slip and fall! I sighed in relief as I saw him grab onto a clearly visible ledge on the side. He seemed unhappy. I pondered the reason why. Was he unhappy because he was clumsy enough to fall instead of carefully gazing down? Or was he unhappy that he hadn't fallen in? The seconds ticked by as I stared at him confused. He was just… hanging there. Why wasn't he just flipping back up? Was he completely and totally mental?? I stared at him wide eyed and terror stricken as he simply let go! In the small millisecond that it took me to process what had just happened, my heart dropped to my knees. Without a second thought, no, without even a thought crossing my mind, my feet were thudding against the grass. I knew that I would never be able to catch him in time, for I was too far away. His eyes were closed. He was expecting death. No. he _wanted_ depth.

"NO!!!!!!!" I yelled. Of course he didn't hear me! The wind was completely blocking his hearing. He hit the water and it splashed my face. I kicked off my shoes and held my breath as I dove in after him.


	4. Chapter 4

**I bet you all wanna know what Garu was thinking. Or not. Most of the people who have approached me about this think Garu's a total idiot. Well, he's NOT. Did you not read the last chapter?? If you didn't then you are not allowed to continue.................. Stop..................... As in NOW...................... Hey! WHY ARE YOU STILL READING?!?! (And if you, in fact, do know what's going on, please ignore o)**

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The angry water was black in every direction; there was no light to direct me upward. I couldn't feel a downward pull, a sinking in any direction. The cold water was numbing my arms and legs, as I predicted. I couldn't feel the buffeting of the current so much as I had at first. It was just more of a kind of dizziness now, a helpless spinning in the water. I was happy that it was going to be over soon. This was by far an easier death than the one that I would have eventually had to face. Oddly peaceful, I couldn't even hear anything around me anymore because my ears were flooded with the freezing water. I wouldn't fight, nor would I resist. Why would I when I was so happy where I was?

I would be with her… the only one I would ever call my mother. Even as my lungs burned for more air, I was content. Anxious to finally be with her, happiness made the dying thing pretty bearable. Something hit me, gentle, yet frantic, and it seemed like I was being dragged down deeper into the water. It filled my lungs and the rest of my air supply escaped through my mouth. At that moment, my head broke the surface. How irritating. I was sure that I had been sinking. The current wouldn't let up. It was slamming me against more rocks; they beat against the center of my back, sharply, rhythmically, pushing he water from my lungs. It gushed out in torrents of amazing volume. The salt burned and my lungs burned and my throat was so full of water that it was impossible to take a breath, and the rocks were hurting my back. Somehow, I stayed in one place, though the waves were heaving around me. I no longer thought that they were beautiful and I didn't even have to look at them because I couldn't see anything but water everywhere, reaching for my face.

"Breathe!" a beautiful voice commanded. I felt a cruel stab of pain as I recognized it. I could not obey. The waterfall pouring from my mouth did not stop long enough for me to catch a breath. The icy water filled my burning chest. Pucca pounded on my back again, right between the shoulder blades, and another fountain of water choked its way out of my lungs.

"C'mon Garu, breathe!" she begged. Black spots bloomed across my vision, getting wider and wider, blocking out the light.

She struck me again.

My head whirled as the black spots covered everything. Was I dying again? I didn't like it – this wasn't as good as the last time.

It was only dark now, nothing worth looking at. The sound of the crashing waves faded into the black and became a quiet, even _whooshing_ sound, that sounded like it was coming from the inside of my ears.

"Garu?" Pucca asked, her voice still tense, but not as wild as before. "Garu, c-can you hear me?" the contents of my head swished and rolled around sickeningly, like they had joined the rough water. I realized that I was still. There was no tug of the current on me. The heaving was inside my head. The surface under me was flat and motionless. It felt grainy against my bare arms.

"Garu…" she whispered, still frantic. Hands, so soft they had to be hers, brushed wet hair from my cheeks. The quiet whooshing inside my head was not the waves, but the sound of the air moving in and out of my lungs again. Each breath burned. The passageways were raw, as if I had scrubbed them out with steel wool. But I was breathing. And I was _freezing_! I tried to open my eyes. It took me a minute, but then I could see Pucca's hopeful face. Her eyes were wet with tears.

"P-Pucca?" I croaked.

"Oh!" she gasped, relief washing over her features. "Oh, Garu! Are you okay? Can you hear me? Do you hurt anywhere?"

"Just my p-pride." I stuttered, my lips quivering. She rolled her eyes and lifted me into her arms.

"Let's get out of the cold. You've got a heck of a lot of explaining to do mister." She glared at me. "And if you don't, you'll find yourself in a mental institute for attempted suicide!" she nagged.

"I h-have a good r-reason." I choked angrily.

"Sure ya do Garu. Ya always do, Garu." she said, nodding her head.

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**Pucca always was one to take things way too seriously...**

**REVIEW!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yes, Garu was trying to commit suicide. But it's really not all that serious! Then again, try telling that to Pucca, who makes a big deal out of everything. I mean, one would think that she would have gotten used to his whole "Prince of Emo-Darkness" act by now, considering how intelligent she is. But all that aside, here's another brilliant chapter from PPDP!**

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"You look horrible." I mumbled to him as I walked with him into an empty, warm cavern.

"O-oh y-yeah? W-well let me t-tell you that y-you would p-probably look the s-same way if y-you had just gone th-through what I d-did." he stuttered angrily.

"Yeah yeah." I said. Poor guy. He was trembling so much that I thought that he was hypothermic. His head was rolling as I sat him up against the cavern wall.

"How d-did you f-find me?" he rasped.

"I was looking for you." I stated matter-of-factly, searching for wood around the cave- which there was plenty of- and two compatible types of rocks. I met Garu's eyes and he stared at me with a sort of anger that I couldn't understand. I ignored his glare and dropped my head, concentrating on making a fire.

"Garu…" I started. He looked up at me. "Why would you just let go? Didn't you notice that it was turning into a hurricane out there? Couldn't you have just climbed back up?" Anger and accusation filled my voice as the relief faded. I shuddered at the thought of what may have happened if I hadn't seen him.

"I'm sorry." He muttered. "It was stupid…"

"Yeah, _really_ stupid." I agreed, nodding. "Look." I said. "Do you mind saving the stupid stuff for when I'm around? I won't be able to concentrate if I think that you're jumping off cliffs behind my back… or running away from home." I put in.

He looked down, still shivering. I took out a blanket from my bag and handed it to him.

"Th-thanks." He sighed. "And by the w-way, I d-do m-mind."

"What's that supposed to mean? 'I do mind'?" I asked sharply. He glanced up at me angrily, and then he looked down again with a shudder. "You jumped on purpose." It wasn't a question. He closed his eyes and cussed under his breath. Then, he looked up at me.

"Yes." he whispered to me.

"Why?" I was persistent.

"I… I don't know." He shivered. I scowled at him.

"I just _saved_ your life, and you thank me by not telling me why you decided to put it in jeopardy?" I asked angrily. He looked at me with annoyance.

"Ever stop to think that maybe I _didn't_ want you to save me?" he asked coldly. His cruel words caught me off guard. My hand sliced the rocks in a sharp and blindingly fast motion. Without warning, they caught fire.

"Ow!" I yelled in agony. "Ow ow ow ow OW!" My hand was on fire! Garu ran over and took off his shirt. He rung it out and the extracted water put out the flames. I must have been crying even though I tried hard not to. I bit my lip and winced. My hand was throbbing angrily. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Garu gently took my hand and wrapped it in his still moist shirt.

"Third degree burns…" he mumbled, and when he was done wrapping my wounded appendage, he wiped my face with his hand to free it of tears.

"I'm f-fine." I broke off as my voice choked. I was trying very hard to ignore the pain. Garu's concerned face turned into complete worry.

"Stop acting. I already know that you're good at withstanding pain. If I were you right now, I would be screaming uncontrollably!" he said and pulled me into a comforting hug. I pushed him away.

"Well, you're not me! So shut up…" I mumbled. He rolled his eyes.

"But if I _were_ you, then I would be in Sooga village right now, safe and sound." He said, sternly.

"Well if that were the case and if I was you, well let's see… oh yeah! I'd be dead!" I growled at him angrily. "But I'm _not_ you and you're definitely _not_ me, so just SHUT UP!" I screamed and began to walk out of the cavern.

"Where are you going?" he asked me. The nerve! I didn't answer. "Good. You should go home." he mumbled. I stopped and turned to face him.

"I'm _not_ leaving you here. I'm going wherever you're gonna go, and I don't _care_ what _you_ have to _say_ about it!" I said, sitting down. He didn't reply. "I'm going to sleep. If you leave, you're putting me in danger." I said resolutely.

"And why is that?" he asked nastily.

"Because I don't know the way home." I said casually. It was a really smooth lie, because Garu gave up and lay down on his side. He was silent. Just as silent as three years ago. And that was probably how it would be… for now.

A nightingale twittered beautifully. Her song added extra weight onto my eyelids. As I closed them slowly, a thought crossed my mind. What was Garu trying to escape from? And what was it that made him think that the only way to escape it was death? And why did I decide to get involved in all of this? Well, for the last question, I knew the answer. I was worried, but about all of the wrong things. Little did I know that these very things that I wasn't worrying about were about to get all up in my face.

I woke up in the morning and sighed. I was comfortable and warm. I sat up and realized that I was wrapped in a blanket. I yawned and stood up. Next to me lay a large leaf with two apples, about a dozen or so blueberries, and a banana. I grew worried. Had he left? I squeezed my hands in annoyance, and a sharp jolt of pain came from my hand. I winced. Then I remembered what had happened last night. I lifted my throbbing hand. It had been wrapped up in Garu's shirt, but I now realized that it was wrapped in gauze. I could feel the antibiotic under the bandages tingling, cleaning my burns. I glanced over to my bag. It was open. Of course…he replaced his shirt with the gauze from my first aid kit. I sighed, went over to my bag, and zipped it up. Ugh. Morning breath.

I re-unzipped my bag and pulled out my toothbrush and my toothpaste. I made my way outside. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Garu standing there. He had stayed! I silently rejoiced. I took a few steps towards him. What was he doing? He looked up at me and smiled crookedly. I gasped inwardly. His hair was down and I marveled at the length of it. I reached just about half way between his shoulders and his elbows. His chest was bare and it had a slight gleam to it from the sunlight. He must have had a six… no, an eight pack! I couldn't tell. His eyes were soft and sad, but the color of his irises complemented his features. He was washing out his shirt. He saw me staring at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" he asked. I shook my head to clear it. I always thought that he was hot, but now, he was HOT! I blinked twice and hid my face in my hands, pretending to be tired. I was blushing furiously. I feigned a yawn.

"Umm…uh…nothing, nothing at all." I mumbled quietly. He chuckled. "What's so funny?" I asked accusation in my voice. He smiled again with the same smile with which I was greeted.

"Not to be rude or anything, but… your hair -" He broke off into another muffled chuckle. I had totally forgotten about my hair! I flushed and ran to get my hairbrush. I was still blushing while I was brushing my hair and my teeth.

I could still hear him laughing.

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**See, that's just mean right there...**


	6. Chapter 6

**This is, once again, in the point of view of or sexy hawt prince of sexy hawtness (lmao). And he's being kind of a sexy hawt idiot... as usual...**

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I knew it was kind of mean, but her hair was sticking out in every direction! I was hilarious! I squeezed out my shirt and pulled my hair back into my usual ponytails. Ugh. I was seriously thinking about cutting it. Washing it everyday was beginning to get annoying! Though it was wet, I pulled my clean shirt over my head.

Pucca came back out. I didn't turn to look at her because I thought that she would be mad at me for laughing at her. She cleared her throat, forcing me to look up.

Her hair was down and the sun shone on her flawless features with such light that I almost winced. My jaw dropped as she smiled, probably because of my expression, showing her pearly white teeth. Her eyes were sarcastic.

"Better?" she asked pleasantly.

"…Uh huh…" I was barely able to say; I was so dazed! She rolled her eyes and removed her bag from her shoulders.

"A certain person went through my bag and first aid kit this morning, and forgot to zip it back up when they were finished rummaging!" she said. I got annoyed.

"Hey, if that's –"

"Let me finish!" she said, cutting me off. I raised my eyebrows. "That certain person is someone that I would like to thank." She said. I tried to hide my happiness.

"You're welcome." I murmured with a fake, cold scowl.

"I'm glad you're talking to me. After what happened yesterday, I was afraid that you would take another vow of silence!" she said frowning. I rolled my eyes, got up, and walked past her.

"I considered it." I replied.

"Where are we going?" she asked, following me. I sighed. I wasn't happy at _all_ that she wasn't going home… but she didn't know the way, and I couldn't go back to Sooga. That meant that the only way that she would stay safe was if I protected her myself.

I refused to answer her question. I was too upset to talk as we walked through the forest. We walked for an hour in complete silence. She took a breath.

"Are you still mad at me?" she asked, her voice tense. She didn't even look up at me. I sighed.

"No, not mad… just worried." I replied sternly.

"Oh."

We continued to walk in silence. Then, she just stopped.

"What?" I asked annoyed. She scowled at me. She was in deep thought.

"How much farther to... wherever we're going?" she finally asked.

"About three miles. Why?" She ignored my question and asked another.

"In which direction?" I rolled my eyes.

"I don't know! Uh…north…then east…and then possibly west for a mile, and then southeast to the village of Maple Leaf."

"Hm." she said, in deep thought. Again.

"What?" I asked impatiently.

"Can we afford to take break?" she asked, staring at me curiously.

"Yeah, I guess. But I still don't see what this has anything to do with all of those questions…" I replied. She smiled.

"Would you like me to explain?" she asked, sitting down, about to lean on a very large oak tree. She patted a space on the grass next to her, gesturing for me to sit along side her.

"Um…okay?" I mumbled and sat in the spot. I looked at her with interest as she looked down at her hands and twiddled her thumbs. After a few minutes, she began to speak. She didn't look up.

"Garu?" she asked.

"Yes?" I asked, with slight impatience. I really had to work on that.

"Have you ever heard of a… Birthgift?" I stiffened at the word. How could she _possibly_ know about that?

"A… _Birthgift_…" I mumbled.

"Yeah. Do you know what that is?" she asked.

"That depends…how much do you know?" Our eyes met and we stared at each other for a long time. She eventually put her head down, and I cocked mine to one side.

"Well," she said, "what would you say if I told you that… maybe...I was given a Birthgift?" My mouth dropped. She looked up, surprised at my reaction.

"…We're not… supposed to…exactly… say anything about those…" I said, looking away.

"So you _do_ know what that is!" she exclaimed.

"Uh… fine, I guess you could say that I _just_ know what that is." I replied.

"Well… do you have a Birthgift too?" she asked curiously.

"We're not supposed to talk about those." I repeated.

"Yes, but there are conditions…" she said, glaring at me.

"True…" I mumbled. She recited the one exception.

"Tell those whom you trust no to tell others". I sighed. She looked down. "You don't trust me, do you." she whispered.

"You know, I do. And I guess I'm curious to know yours, too." I shrugged. "But we don't have time for that! We have to keep going!" I said, getting up. Pucca got up as well.

"My thoughts exactly." She took my hand and started pulling me towards the route that we were taking.

"What are you - ?" I asked. She swept me into her arms, and we were off like a bullet shot! We were zooming down the path, zipping through the forest, the trees a blur f green. In a matter of seconds, we were in front of a gate. The words on it were very clear.

**Maple leaf village**

She put me down and I staggered. She caught me in time and helped me to stand up straight. My mouth was open and my eyes must have been bugging out of my head. Speed! Her Birthgift was speed! How surprising! I opened my mouth to speak, but all that came out was an incomprehensible blabbering.

"You…and, but…then, uh… what was…huh?" She started laughing so hard that she fell on the floor. I scowled after the shock had subsided. She stood up.

"I'm sorry! But that was hilarious! Your expression… it was… oh my god!" She started laughing again. I sighed and, still being a bit wobbly, grabbed her hand and dragged her through the village gates. She was laughing the entire time.

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**-sigh- please review... *shakes head***


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